The present invention relates to a steering device for a vehicle such as an automobile, in which a driver 10 airbag device is accommodated and, more particularly, to a steering device further provided with a horn switch.
A steering device has been widely used, in which an airbag device is accommodated and a horn switch is also incorporated in such a manner that the horn switch is turned on to sound a horn by depressing a module cover of the airbag device.
In the steering device of this type, the horn switch is switched on by depressing the entire airbag device including an inflator and an airbag. The airbag device is arranged to be movable back and forth and is biased forward (in a direction toward an occupant) by a spring. The spring should apply biasing force on the airbag device so as to overcome inertia force caused by the total weight of the airbag device, whereby a driver is required to depress the airbag device strongly to sound the horn.
A steering device in which a horn switch is actuated by depressing only a module cover with a small force is disclosed in Japanese utility model publication 6-53365A. In the steering device of the publication, an airbag, an inflator, and a retainer are fixed to a boss of the steering wheel and the module cover is connected to and supported by the retainer via a plate spring therebetween.
When the module cover is depressed, only the module cover moves backward so as to switch on a horn switch. Since only the module cover moves as mentioned, the force required for turning on the horn switch in this case is smaller than that in case of depressing the entire airbag device.
In the steering device disclosed in the publication of 6-53365, the module cover is connected to the retainer by plate springs. Therefore, when the inflator is actuated to inflate the airbag so that large pressure is exerted on the module cover by the airbag, the spring may be deeply deformed so that there is a possibility that the module cover is thus significantly separated fiom the retainer.